I would go with seem. Although both of them seem close, seem is probably more common.
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user17857Feb 5 '12 at 14:01

thanks for all your comments , I think "seem" is more close to the point of being true about what an object looks like whereas "appear" is like an impression you get immediately at a glance .
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rayFeb 5 '12 at 14:40

1

@ray: You're making a spurious distinction - in this context, there is no subtle difference whatsoever.
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FumbleFingersFeb 5 '12 at 14:50

3 Answers
3

Appears alludes to appearance, to visibility or visible, tangible evidence whilst seems has a more intangible, impressional nature. Nevertheless, it seems they tend to be used interchangeably or at least, that's how it appears to me.